Shoe counter



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,700,885

A. C. ENG EL SHOE COUNTER Filed Feb. 13, 1928 Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. ENGEL, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE COUNTER.

Application filed February 13, 1928. Serial No. 253,863.

This invention relates to certain im rovements in shoe counters, or heel sti eners, which are molded in U-form to fit the heel portion of a last, from stifi' sheet material such as leather board or fiber board, and which are, also, of the type which extend beyond the heel breast for the greater portion of the length of the shank part at both sides thereof.

In lasting shoes in which counters of this description are employed, difliculty has been encountered in making the counter conform to the last as closely as is desired, primarily because, with present methods of moulding counters, which are usually employed, the usual inturned flange is moulded flat, but the shank surface on which it lies when on the last extends obliquely with relation to the heel portion of the last bottom, so that the flange must be bent out of the form into which it was moulded to conform thereto, with the result that it has been found practically impossible to make the counter conform to the last at all points, as, b making it conform in one portion, it will e thrown out of position at another portion.

While this specific difficulty is to a large extent avoided by tapering the ends of the flanges to the sides of the counter, as shown in Patent-No. 1,636,982, a further ditficultyis encountered by reason of the opposite formation in the shank part of a right and a left last. That is, as usually constructed, particularly for womens shoes, the middle line of the shank part extends at a slight divergence to the center line of the last bottom from heel to toe, and the outer side of the last extends practically straight with the side of the heel, while the inner side is recessed or hollowed out to conform primarily with the longitudinal arch of the foot. Consequently, while the heel portion of the last is formed practically the same at each side, when a counter is placed on the last, which has been moulded for use either as a right or left, and has its sides formed to extend opposite a substantial portion of the shank part, it will be apparent that the front end portions of its sides will have to be swung laterally in a different manner at one side than at the other to conform to the sides of the last. Assuming, for example, that the counter is moulded so that its sides are drawn together"to'the greatest extent practicable, when it is placed on the last, the side at the outer side must be pushed outward and the other side must be drawn inward from their respective molded positions, to conform to the sides of the last. This lateral swinging at one side is likely to cause displacement at some other point, principally for the reason, as I have ascertained, that the inturned bottom flange acts to make the sides very inflexible and prevents ready conformance of the sides with the side surface of the last, so that, in attempting to force the side portions opposite the shank part into the desired position of conformance, displacement at other portions are likely to result.

These difficulties may be practically avoided, by molding the counters as rights and lefts, but this practice involves serious objections both in the manufacture of the counters and in the shoe factory, as it greatly increases the expense for molding dies, six sets being required where one set only would ordinarily be necessary, and on the whole more than doubles the cost of production, while in the shoe factory, it involves increased lasting expense, due to the difliculty of making sure that a right counter is placed in a right shoe, and a left in a left shoe, and the fact that, if a mistake should be made in this regard, and a right counter, for exam le, should be placed in a left shoe, the fit of the counter would be even more unsatisfactory than if the counter were made for either a right or a left shoe.

In many instances the increased expense, incident to the manufacture and use of right and left counters, considered prohibitive, altho, when correctly employed in the shoe manufacturing operation, they are advantageous for several important reasons, as compared with the long sided counters which have previously been employed, and which are not molded for rights and lefts.

The objects of my invention are to provide a moulded counter of the type above referred to which is adapted to be fitted either to a right or left shoe, which may be made without prohibitive increase, or with but slight increase in expense, and which may be readily made to conform, thruout the length of both its sides, with the corresponding portions of the last, when placed thereon," without causing the counter to be pushed back out of position, so that its heel end portion does not fit closely against the back end of the last, and without causing the sides of the counter to be drawn away from the sides of the lastat their top edges, or fail to conform to the last in other particulars.

I accomplish this object by so forming the inturned flange at each side that it is discontinuous at and beyond the portions of the last bottom which are inclined with relation to the level of the heel seat, or so that the flange portions, corresponding to the front portions of the shank part, are made up of separate sections each of which readily conform to the last portion corresponding there to, without tending to cause displacement of some other portion, and permitting relative lateral adjustment of the sides.

For a more complete disclosure of the invention reference is made to the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of the counter blank as died out and prepared for molding.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the molded counter as it comes from the molding machine.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bottom side of the counter on a right last.

Fig. 4 is a similar view in perspective.

Fig. 5 is a front view in perspective, showing the shaping of the sides when on a right last.

As shown in the drawing. the counter blank w, in outline, before molding, and in shape, after molding, is identical with the ordinary counter of this type, which is adapted to be placed on either a right or left last, the same cutting and molding dies being employed as previously. It, therefore, comprises the usual heel portion a, side portions 5 and 0, which are both of suflicient length to extend to the front portion of the shank part, and the inturned flange d, which extends thruout the length of the bottom edge of its sides and heel portions.

According to my invention, after the blank has been died out in the usual flat form of Fig. 1, it is passed thru a separate machine, which I have devised for the purpose, which forms a series of slits e in each end portion of the edge portion of the blank, which, by the subsequent molding operation, is bent inward to form the flange (I, said slits 0 being extended from the edge nearly to the line at which the blank is bent. and being located at suitable intervals and in such positions that when the counter is molded and placed on the inverted last, the slit nearest the heel end of each side will be over the flat portion of the last bottom which is level with the heel seat and the others will be located at suitable intervals over the inclined portion of the shank part.

practically independent flange sections, one between each pair of slits, which may be bent laterally or outward to different extents, each independently of the other, to conform. to the last portion which they respectively engage and without tending to cause displacement of the counter on the last at other points.

This construction also prevents the flange from holding the end portions of the Sides in the form in which they are molded, so that they may be flexed transversely according to the formation of the corresponding portions of the sides of the last to which they are to be conformed. For example, both side portions will be drawn inward at the narrow portion of the shank and then will be forced to flare outward, but the extent to which the sides will be drawn in and then pushed out at each side will vary according to the formation of the last, and be greater at the inner than at the outer side of the same last, as indicated in Fig. 3. Also the front end portion of the side at the outer side of the last will be pressed out or down from the normal molded position to a greater extent than the corresponding portion at the inner side, as shown in Fig. 5, in which the formation of the counter when placed on a right last is indicated. It will be understood that when the counter is placedon a left last, the formation at the front portions will be opposite to that indicated in Fig. 5. The sectional formation of the front portions of the flange also permit these portions to be readily conformed to the inclined shank portion, as indicated in Fig. 4, without tending to displace the counter at other points to an objectionable extent. In conforming the flange to these positions the slits e therein will be opened to varying extents, according to conditions, as indicated in Fig. 3.

WVhen pressed into position, so that the flange conforms to the last bottom at all points, the sides of the counter will also be held closely to the last surface, at all points, and as the flange sections may be easily forced into different positions of inclination they will have no appreciable tendency to displace the side portions, or to prevent such portions from conforming closely to the corresponding portions of the last surface, or to tend to lift the heel portion of the counter, so that it will not rest firmly on the heel of the last. or the heel of the inner sole, which will be placed on the last bottom as a preliminary to the lasting operation.

Each counter, therefore, when molded in the ordinary manner, will conform readily to either a right or left last.

The cost of the slitting operation, which is performed on the counter previously to molding, but slightly increases the cost of manufacture. such increase being practically inconsequential as compared with the extra expense involved in providing the extra sets f dies which are necessary in moulding counters for rights and lofts, while all complications in the shoe factory which are incident to the use of right and left counters are avoided.

As the flange sections are merely separated by a slit, when the upper is sewed to the inner sole the counter will be as securely attached as if the slits Were not present.

I claim A shoe counter of sheet material molded in U-form for use in a shoe having its shank portion disposed obliquely to the center line of the last bottom, said counter having both its sides constructed to extend opposite said oblique shank part of the shoe and having an inturncd bottom flange extending about the same to the front end portions of the sides, the front portions of said flange each having a series of transverse slits therein extending from the inner edge thereof to points adjacent the sides and located at intervals in the portions corresponding to the oblique shank part of the shoe, to separate said flange into sections adapted for relative displacement from molded position according to the shape of the last on which the shoe is made.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR C. ENGEL, 

